In the News

One month after opening her first real estate office, longtime Realtor and Broker Claire Dembinski has a new MLS listing and a pending sale.

There already is a website launched at poconopinesliving,com.

“We’re geared up and ready to go,” she said of her new office of Dembinski Realty Company on the second floor of Rinehimer Construction in Pocono Pines where her son – Mike – works as vice president. The new marquee went up at the end of last week and a grand opening is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. on Jan. 30.

And it’s her son who gave her the impetus to open her own office at what she regards as a prime time to do it with the improving real estate picture in the area and nationwide. She worked with Realty Executives in Stroudsburg and Mike had suggested to that company that they open an office in Pocono Pines.

“The light started to flicker,” Claire said. “It was time to say, ‘Let’s do it for us.”

So mother and son have struck a new alliance.

But their career paths began to take shape when Claire had worked as a sales manager for a Fortune 500 company and Mike had graduated from King’s College with a degree in marketing and business, the same college where Claire had studied real estate about 35 years earlier.

“That brought him into an arena to have a chance to show his talents and it was a stepping stone for him,” Claire said. “We worked together in selling new construction in the past. It was a proud moment for me as a single mom and to see him blossom the way that he did and to do a phenomenal job and the most rewarding, personal thing to see was the fulfillment of what he was trying to achieve professionally.”

And now she is achieving her own goal.

But this current alliance is a more flexible one. Mike on these business pages early last year had professed his mission to ally his construction company in a stronger partnership with local real estate companies. As the president of the new real estate office, would there still be partnerships of other real estate offices with Rinehimer?

“He still wants to be working with other Realtors as well, not just working with me,” Claire said. “But I like being in the building with the benefit of the energy, and being affiliated with what they’re doing is what you want.”

She will market new construction, lots and resale of furnished homes, calling it a niche market for secondary, vacation homes.

A native of Northeast Philadelphia whose family moved to Lake Naomi in 1976 when it was first evolving as a vacation getaway community, Claire said the smalltown feel of the Pocono Pines area can work to her advantage and she said word of mouth still is viable there despite the technology evolution.

“We are fortunate to promote the town we love,” said Claire. “Our real estate is dedicated to promoting the communities we know that we are in the neighborhood. I can practically walk to my office. Not everybody has that. That’s why it’s special; it’s hands on. We know it, like it and understand the dynamic of the lifestyle. It’s not something that comes easily. It comes from a long stretch of working with folks and servicing them and now we want to take it to another level.”

This dry start to the winter season is a stark contrast to a year ago.

“We’ve been fortunate. We do want snow because skiers are clients as well and important to the local economy but last year was so extreme, it did impact us (negatively),” Claire said.

But once the snow comes, Claire said it will excite some customers.

“We have a wonderful energy being four miles down the road from Kalahari. And there’s Camelback. That’s what people love about this area – not just the quality of the community but being close to these other fun things. Overall, it’s a shot in the arm for the Poconos and people sense that. You want to be around somebody who has energy.”

And Claire provides her share of that.

Business Editor Wayne Witkowski writes a Sunday column periodically.

Dembinski Receives Designation

Journal of the Pocono Plateau, Week of July 8, 2011

Claire Dembinski has been awarded the Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE®) designation by the Real Estate Negotiation Institute (RENI). The CNE® is earned by real estate professionals after successfully completing formal negotiation training from. Agents who receive this certification are in the top 1% of all agents nationally.

With professional negotiation skills, agents are able to help clients obtain better results in the sale or purchase of their home. CNE® agents have a powerful competitive edge because of their ability to 1) communicate effectively to uncover more information, 2) help clients understand their options, 3) work collaboratively with others, and 4) resolve deadlocks. CNE® agents have a thorough understanding of how to negotiate effectively to help achieve their client’s goals.

The Real Estate Negotiation Institute is the leading negotiation training and coaching company in the real estate industry. Tom Hayman, the CEO and Co-Founder of the Real Estate Negotiation Institute, is a professional negotiator with 35+ years of negotiation experience, including 25 years with The Procter and Gamble Company (Fortune 50 company). Hayman asserts "Any Buyer or Seller who hires a CNE® agent can feel confident they have one of the best trained negotiators in real estate. They should achieve superior results and have better resolution of all issues when represented by a CNE® agent."

RINEHIMER CONSTRUCTION INC. Gaining National Attention

September 2011 - Builder Magazine

Rinehimer Construction Inc. has been featured in the September 2011 issue of Builder Magazine, America's leading construction industry publication. Builder Magazine takes an inside look at Rinehimer Construction's positive growth in the current market, and how the opening of "Downtown Business Square" has attracted other complementing service businesses including Marshall Sabatini Architecture & Erb's Landscaping. www.rdcustombuilders.com

Clymer Library Cook Book Available for Sale

Makes A Great Gift

The Clymer Library is proud to offer a collection of recipes from the community.

Local Flair Features Home in Lake Naomi

A Kind Gesture..... Reaps Honors

Philadelphia Inquirer - HAVEN Highlight November 28, 2010

The Graham home in LAKE NAOMI was featured in the special HAVEN highlight of the Homes section of the Philadelphia Inquirer on November 28th. The Grahams were generous to share their UNIQUE home to support the 2010 CLYMER LIBRARY HOUSE TOUR. A writer from the Philadelphia Inquirer was on the tour & contacted them after the house tour. They are so excited & proud to have been selected by the Philadelphia Inquirer .

Claire Dembinski, Recognized For Internet Marketing Excellence

Nationally renowned real estate marketing and technology speaker and REALTOR.com®
Vice President, Max Pigman, has presented to Claire Dembinski the “Real Estate Online
Marketing Award of Excellence”. The Award of Excellence recognizes top agents who consistently provide great marketing services on behalf of their buyers and sellers.

“There are always some real estate agents who distinguish themselves from other agents by doing a little more for their sellers. In particular, when the home they are selling is placed on a well trafficked site such as the 1st ranked REALTOR.com®, even simple efforts like having more photos displayed, crafting better descriptions or adding a full motion video, can make a home stand out from competing properties,” says Max Pigman, Vice President of REALTOR.com®.

The excellence award was presented to Claire Dembinski at a recent real estate marketing and technology seminar that demonstrated cutting edge techniques for leveraging the Internet and technology in real estate marketing.

Claire Dembinski says,“My seller clients appreciate how I can help bring more attention to the unique selling attributes of a their home and ultimately help attract more qualified buyers. Buyers are also appreciative of a well presented home that has a better description and more ways to learn about the property before arranging an appointment. While it’s certainly an honor to receive this award, I think ultimately it would be a disservice not to make REALTOR.com® and the Internet part of your standard home marketing plan. Some day soon most agents will see it as a must have requirement instead of something special. We’re already seeing that change”

“The extra steps agents like Claire Dembinski are taking on behalf of their clients is the reason we thought it was worthwhile to call out the effort we have seen these agents make online and to recognize them for providing these added value services,” says Mr. Pigman.

REALTOR.com® is just one of the many ways Claire Dembinski is leveraging recent trends in home buyer online behavior to Her clients benefit.